Cross-cultural differences in the care of patients with cancer. A review

• Published in: General hospital psychiatry Vol. 15; no. 1; p. 21
• Main Authors: Trill, M D, Holland, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-01-1993
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Attitude to Death - ethnology; Attitude to Health - ethnology; Bereavement; Communication Barriers; Cultural Characteristics; Emigration and Immigration; Family - ethnology; Female; Gender Identity; Health Behavior - ethnology; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasms - ethnology; Neoplasms - therapy; Quality of Health Care; Religion and Medicine; Self Disclosure
• ISSN: 0163-8343
• DOI: 10.1016/0163-8343(93)90087-5

In order to assure optimal care of patients with chronic medical illnesses it is necessary to take into account the cultural factors that may influence health-related behaviors. By using cancer as a model, this paper discusses the major cultural issues that should be considered in order to increase cultural sensitivity in the medical setting: family function, sex roles, language, disclosure of disease-related information, pain, attitudes towards illness and health practices, immigration, region, autonomy versus dependency, and death and bereavement. Case histories illustrating the relevance of such socio-cultural factors in the cancer setting are reported.